Kalaburagi: Former Minister and Rajya Sabha member K.B. Shanappa (79), passed away at a hospital in Kalaburagi following brief illness yesterday.

He is survived by his wife, two sons and three daughters.

Hailing from Ravoor village in Chittapur taluk of the district, Shanappa was an influential Dalit leader in Kalaburagi. The deceased who was a labour leader of the ACC Cement factory in Wadi made it to the Assembly twice on CPI from then Shahabad Assembly Constituency.

He was the Excise Minister in late J.H. Patel’s Cabinet. Shanappa, who joined the BJP, was later made a Rajya Sabha member and was nominated to the State Legislative Council. He joined the Congress in 2018 ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.